Brush-cleaning device.



E. H. COOK.

BRUSH CLEANING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 1. I916.

Patented Nov. 26, 1918.

Wm .T E m r WITNESSES:

UNITED STATES PA ENT OFFICE.

ERNEST H. COOK, OF PAINESVILLE, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO ALBERT LYNN LAWRENCE, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

BRUSH-CLEANING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 26, 1918.

Application filed March 7, 1916. Serial No. 82,658.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ERNEST H. Coon, a citizen of the United States of America, re-. siding at Painesville, in the county of Lake and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Brush- Cleaning Devices, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in a brush cleaning device, and. has for its object, the provision of means for efficiently and economically cleaning paint brushes that have become soaked and coated with dried paint, varnish, shellac and the like.

It is well known that all paint shops are compelled either to use brushes which are of impaired eflic-iency, by reason of the old paint forced into the heel of the brush, or to throw said brushes away. The one course involves loss in efiiciency of the workman, while the other compels the purchase of a new brush to replace the one disposed of. These losses or wastes,'however, are wholly unnecessary, provided the old brushes may be restored substantially to their normal efficiency, and it is common practice to soak the brushes in turpentine, varnish remover and the like, in order to clean them, more or less thoroughly. The cost of the material, however. which is wholly wasted, under ordinary conditions, greatly reduces the effect of this attempted economy.

According] y, I have devised improved means for thoroughly cleaning paint brushes and the like, with minimum expenditure of labor and material, and in addition, I am enabled to reclaim oil and paint-material from the brushes in suchquantities, as commonly will far exceed the'cost of the solventused.

Preferably, my improved apparatus provides a sealed chamber for containing the solvent, which places the vapors thereof, under moderate pressures, and practically avoids evaporation, in addition to apparently efi'ecting increased penetrative power for the solvent employed. The apparatus further provides a suitably perforated diaphragm or grating. which may be used with advantage for working outthe inner body of hardened paint. while preventing the disturbance of the solvent liquid, and the separated or reclaimed ingredients of the paint. Moreover, I provide an appliance for combing out the particles of softened paint, and for scraping the skins of paint surrounding the bristles of the brush, into the brush.

The device of my invention is of extreme slmpllclty; providing a liquid seal for the inclosing closure, an inner containing receptacle for the solvent, and a tray affording a diaphram at its bottom; in which t 'ay, said brushes are disposed while under treatment.

Further features of my improvement will be explained in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure l is a view in longitudinal section of a device embodying my invention.

F g. 2 is a transverse sectional view thereof.

Fig. 3 IS an end view partially broken away, and in section, and

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the device, with the cover removed.

Throughout the several figures of the drawings I have employed the same character of reference to indicate similar parts, and the dotted section lines are suitably indicated by corresponding ordinals, to assist in locating said figures.

A liquid containing tray (1, of the desired dimensions, and constructed advantageously of galvanized iron, as are the remaining members of my improved device, is adapted to receive the air-tight cover or closure 1). These members telescope, fitting loosely one within the other, and a liquid or water-seal is provided therebetween. Fig. 1 shows the cover I) lowered into sealing position; the parts being so proportioned and related, that normally the outer water-level in a will be higher than that beneath the closure 5, when properly sustained by the liquid. \Vithin the closure. and resting upon the bottom of the tray, there is provided a receptacle 0, adapted to receive the liquid solvent. This receptacle :ulvantageously may be initially filled with such suitable solvent as it is desired to use. of which I may suggest a mixture comprising two parts of benzol and one part of denatured alcohol. An open bottomed tray 1], is adapted to rest, upon the rim of the receptacle 0; said tray being provided with a crosspiece d, adapted centrally to support the diaphragm e, of netting. clamped and riveted into a stout. supporting frame 0.

At one end of the inner tray 6, there is provided a scraper or blade f, while at the other end of the tray, I may advantageously dispose a comb appliance g. Both of these mechanically cleaning elements or members,

preferably are so positioned, that the material removed from the brushes shall fall within the liquid solvent. Two of such brushes h and a, are shown in Fig. 1; the former in such position that a large number of the brushes may be piled one on top of' shown, I may now explain the use thereof.

Assuming that the inner tray has been filled with all brushes-that are to be cleaned, it is necessary to insure merely that the bristles of the brushes will rest upon the grating, so that the solvent liquid will penetrate sald bristles, and be carried by capillary action into the paint soaked heels. The closure b, is then placed over the receptacle, and \v lthln the outer tray, so that'a liquid seal is 1nsured, which brings about two desirable results. First, the volatile solvent is prevented from evaporating into the air, while the contained vapor within the cover 1s placed under certain pressure, dependlng, of course, upon the. weight of the cover. My obseryation leads me to believe that this penetrative action of the vapor is highly beneficial in disintegrating the hardened and dr ed paint, and materially assists the action of the liquld solvent in reducing the ingredients thereof.

After the brushes have remained some twenty-four hours or more within the device,

the cover b, may be removed, and each brush in turn, may be worked by rotating motion upon the grating; first scraping ofi' any particles of skin from the outer portion of the bristles, and combing out the inner portions of hardened aint from time to time, until the heel of tiie brush itself has been freed from all particlesvof paint. This will be accomplished with surprising ease, inasmuch as the solvent has every opportunity to attack the foreign material, throughout the body ofthe bristles, without in the least, impairing their original efliciency. Thus a material advantage is insured at the outset, by involving very little labor for restoring the brushes to a condition for most advanta- These materials comprise a solid disintegrated portion j, of the paint material, whichv mamas being heavy will sink to the bottom of the receptacle 0. Over this will be found a stratum of heavy oil In, while the liquid 'solvent Z, being of less specific gravity, will rest upon the oil, and its level will be maintained of suflicient height to extend son'ie'distance through the grating 6, when the tray (1, is inserted Within the receptacle.

After the device has been used for some time, it of course, will require cleansing. First, the body of expended solvent may be poured off, then the heavy oil will be decanted, and subsequently. used to treat roofing shingles and the like.- Finally, the body of disintegrated paint, which will be found to have a grayish or dove color, may be suitably mixed and used as a paint for the floors of porches, and the like, as it is slightly gritty in character, which well adapts it to this and analogous purposes. These materials are all reclaimed in thecourse of cleaning out the device, and restoring it to condition for use, and the value of said materials,'in consequence, will off-set the cost of the liquid solvent used. Inasmuch as the device is so constructed that all cleaning operations are conducted within the supporting tray, the materials are all conserved. No waste of liquid solvent occurs, other than the slight evaporation, during the mechanical cleaning operations, and every possible economy is attained.

In order to reclaim all of the ingredients, while making the device self-contained, itris quite desirable that the supporting tray shall have associated with it, suitable abrading means, in addition to. the netting, for mechanically removing the particles of disintegrated paint. Being thus positioned, all of such material will fall through the bottom of the tray into the receptacle. For this purpose, I have provided the blade f, and comb. g, which are suitably positioned for most convenient use, and for saving all particles of the disintegrated paint. However, these andother details are subject to variation, without departing from the spirit of my invention.-

It will be understood that the containing tray ordinarily will be partly filled with water, which insures the practical elimination of danger from fire, ordinarily attendant upon the presence of bodies of solvent, turpentine, varnish remover etc. This is an important advantage that' is inherent in the device set forth.

Having now described apparatus embodying my inventiomand the manner in which the same may be used, I claim as new, and

desire to secure by Letters Patent, the following 1. In apparatus of the class described, the

combination with a receptacle adapted to contain a liquid solvent, of a shallower tray having an open grating covered bottom sec-:

contain a liquid solvent, of a shallower tray having an open grating covered bottom section adapted for insertion within said receptacle, an abrading appliance positioned adjacent to said grating, and means for efiecting a substantially air-tight seal for said tray and receptacle, substantially as set forth.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination with a receptacle adapted to contain a volatile liquid solvent, of supporting means provided in the upper portion thereof, a surrounding tray adapted to contain a liquid sealing medium, and a telescoping closure member proportioned to be floated upon said liquid sealing medium and adapted to maintain the volatlle liquid and vapors under pressure, substantially as set forth.

4. In a device for cleaning paint brushes, the combination with a receptacle, of a shallower tray adapted for insertion within said receptacle, and having a grating covered bottom section, and a plurality of abrading or combing points posltioned adjacent to said section, whereby the material loosened or combed thereby, may be released in position to fall through the bottom section and into the receptacle, substantially as set forth.

5. In a device for cleaning brushes, the combination with a relatively deep receptacle, of a tray adapted for insertion within the upper portion of said receptacle; said tray being provided with a netting or gratingalong its bottom section, adapted to form a division wall or diaphragm in the receptacle, abrading means positioned adjacent to said grating, and closure means for effecting a substantially air-tight seal about the receptacle, substantially as set forth.

6. In a device for cleaning brushes, the combination with a relatively deep receptacle, of a tray adapted for insertion within the upper portion of said receptacle; said tray being provided with a netting or grating along its bottom section adapted to form a division wall or diaphra in the receptacle, abrading means positioned adjacent to said grating, and an air tight closure member surrounding said receptacle and tray, loosely telescoping within and adapted to be sustained by a water-seal to maintain the contents under pressure, substantially as set forth.

7. In a device for cleaning brushes and the like, the combination with a solvent receptacle, of a perforated diaphragm positioned therein, abrading means disposed adjacent to said diaphragm within said receptacle, a vcover normally closing the device, and liquid sealing means, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I do now afiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ERNEST H. COOK- Witnesses:

Lonnm HoLUB, ALBERT LYNN LAWRENCE. 

